House of Flying Daggers
by mai.sturrrr
Summary: A dancer; A soldier; An unforgettable love. Neji.Tenten Discontinued .. dX
1. Chapter 1

The once-mighty Tang Dynasty was in decline. The Kage was weak and incompetent. His corrupt government no longer controlled the land. Unrest swep tthe country. Village by village an underground alliance formed the House of Flying Daggers. Based near the Imperial Capital, the House of Flying Daggers moved in the shadows. Stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, they earned the support of the people. At the same time, they were feared and hated by their bitter rivals, the local deputies.

Inside the ANBU headquarters in Konoha, a group of seven ninjas grabbed their weapons and reported to their two captains. After receiving a nod from both captains, the ninjas walked out the door to patrol the area. The younger captain resumed looking at the list of missions while the older one was still sharpening his weapons. Without looking up from the papers, Sasuke spoke.

"We'll be busy. They began to move again They already elected a new leader and the Kage has given us ten days to catch him."

"It took us two months to assassinate the last leader. Ten days isn't enough, Uchiha."

"Have you heard of Peony Pavillion?"

"Yes."

"Does anyone know you there?"

"No, I haven't been there yet."

"Good, now's your chance."

"Do we have any information?"

"We suspect one of their showgirls is a member of the Flying Daggers."

"Very well, I'll check it out."

With a briefing of the mission and a nod, Hyuuga Neji put his weapons away and walked out the door. Upon arriving at the entertainment house, the young captain was welcomed by the head mistress of the place. and she lead him to a side room. Inside were about ten girls, a year or two younger than him. Each of them were dressed in similar outfits, color was the only difference.

He wasn't sure how he had gotten into a playful game of tug-of-war with the other girls but after drinking a bottle and a half of sake, he was beginning to feel flushed and relaxed. He took another sip of the sake and let go of the rope which sent the girls to the ground, laughter erupting from the entire room. He was finished with the game so he called out to the head mistress.

"Mistress!"

"I'm coming!" she replied but he called out once more.

"Here I am." She made her up the stairs and across the show room. "What can I do for you, sir?"

"I hear you have a new girl."

"You are well informed."

"Is she pretty?" He took another sip of his sake.

"She is quite a beauty."

"Bring her to me."

The mistress hesitated. The Hyuuga tossed something at her feet and she quickly bent down and picked up the three items. Turning around to face the young captain, she said something to him.

"There is one thing you need to know.."

"And what is that?"

"The girl is blind."

"Blind? Then she must be special. I'm curious."

With a smile gracing her lips, the mistress gracefully turned and walked out of the room. Within a few minutes, a slender girl stepped into the center of the room, directly infront of the Hyuuga. She was dressed in a blue kimono, the sleeves reaching the floor. A small amount of make-up covered her face and her hair in two intricate buns with golden trinkets entwined in them. He smiled at her before asking her a question.

"How did you lose your sight?"

"I was born blind." Her eyes were focused in his direction but seemed fixed on a point beyond his head.

"Why would a blind girl work here?"

"Why couldn't a blind girl work here?"

"You're right." He let out a chuckle and reached for another cup of sake. "What is your name?"

"Tenten."

He was about to take a sip but stopped when she answered.

"Tenten? Every other girl in this pavillion has taken the name of a flower. Why is yours so plain?"

"I don't want to compete with those ordinary girls."

"What do you mean?"

"The flowers displayed her can hardly be called flowers. Real flowers bloom in the wilderness. "

He nodded before letting out a slight chuckle and took a sip of the sake. "If you impress me, I'll take you to where the real flowers grow." A smile appeared on her lips.

"What is your talent as the top showgirl."

"Dancing."

He motioned for her to come closer and she did. With a swift move of his arm, he reached out and grabbed his sword and touched her cheek with it. Trailing it down to her chin, her neck and the top tie of her kimono, he undid the first tie in one quick move then the other three. In another quick move, he threw her kimono off and revealed her performance outfit and returned the sword to its sheath. Slightly startled, she began to back away but his hand shot out and grabbed the long sleeve of her outfit before she could get anywhere.

"You do know the rules, right?" and with that question, he let go of her sleeve and clapped twice.

She moved to the center of the room and a line of women walked in carrying each a stringed instrument and sat in the chairs along the wall of the room. With a jingle of some bells, the women began to play and Tenten began her dance. Her dance was slow and graceful along with the music. Her arms moved fluidly with the music and the sleeves trailed around her as she moved. She began to sing.

"Bei feng you jia ren Jue shi er du li Yi gu qing ren cheng Zai gu qing ren guo Ning bu zhi quing cheng Yu qing guo Jia ren nan zai de"

He sang along off-key and was mezmerized by her dance. She repeated the verse again, then finished the dance with a few spins and dipped backwards infront of him. In once smooth move, he grabbed her arm and pulled her down so her back was on his lap and he bent over her, trying to kiss her.

She let out a shriek and the women along the wall rushed over and tried to pull him off her. The mistress also came over, asking him to calm down. As she was struggling and he was trying to get the women to go away, the mistress tried to explain.

"This girl is young and inexperienced. Please forgive her." She turned to another girl. "Take her away." With a swing of his arms, he tried once again to get the others to leave. With the noise of the commotion, no one heard the other captain come in until he yelled for them to stop.

The women bowed while the Hyuuga was still on top of a struggling Tenten.

"This is the captain of the county. Show some respect!" the mistress barked.

"To hell with the captain." He pushed her away.

"Outrageous! Arrest him." the Uchiha told the two soldiers with him.

"Let me go! Who are you?" Neji shouted. "How dare you? I'm the captain."

"You are drunk and indecently dressed. Arrest them both."

The two soldiers led the staggering Hyuuga through the door while the Uchiha grabbed hold of Tenten. The mistress was trying to explain while he making his was to the door, his hand around the dancer's elbow.

"Please don't arrest the girl. That man was drunk. It was not her fault. Please don't arrest her. Our business is new. I rely on her to bring in guests." The three stopped.

"How can a blind girl be the top showgirl? Move!"

"She's a dancer with rare skills. Please see for yourself." He let go of her elbow and she jerked her arm back. He turned to face her.

"Do you know the Echo Game?"

"I played it once."

"Alright. Perform well, and I will let you go."

"Thank you, Captain." the mistress replied. She then turned towards Tenten. "Hurry and go change."

* * *

_**To Be Continued..**_

This story is based off the movie: _House of Flying Daggers._ I love that movie and wanted to write a story with it. The characters are a bit OOC so yeahh..

**Review :  
Constructive Criticism is encouraged but No Flames Please.**

**Mai. **


	2. Chapter 2

Soldiers marched in from the front door, each carrying a drum while guests piled onto the the second story balcony to get a better look. The drums were set up around the center of the room and the only gap was for the table at the front where Captain Uchiha sat. Tenten had changed into a different outfit already and was standing in the middle of the drums. As a bowl of small stones were placed on the captain's table, the crowd's chatter began to cease.

Dipping his hand in the bowl, Sasuke picked one up and held it in his hand. Tenten dropped into a stance; one arm in front of her chest, other close to her face, while one leg was up in the air. Her right ear was in the direction of the Uchiha but her eyes focused somewhere on the wall to his left.

Sasuke flicked the stone at a stone on his right and it hit a drum. As if it was cue, Tenten swung her arm in a fluid motion and struck the same drum with a the long sleeve of her pink outfit. Maneuvering into another stance, she readied herself for the next stone. The second stone bounced of a drum to the Uchiha's left and hit another drum on his right.

Her sleeves met both the drums and the crowd was impressed. Her new stance had her body elegantly angled with one arm raise above her head while the other stretched out towards the door. This stone hit four drums this time and so did Tenten's sleeves. The entertainment house erupted in applause and smiles while Tenten got into her next stance. Sasuke smiled and clapped for her as well.

A smile lit up Tenten's face as the pavillion quieted. In that moment of silence, the captain picked up the bowl and the stones flew out, each hitting a drum before falling to the floor. Another smile graced her lips as she began her dance. Her smooth movements fascinated the crowd. She moved gracefully as the sleeves of her outfit hit every drum in the exact order of the stones, not a single beat was missed.

Nearing the end of her dance, she found her chance. She had managed to wrapped the end of one of the sleeves on the hilt of Sasuke's sword and swiped it at his neck not just once but many times. On the third swing, Sasuke parried the swing with his arm and grabbed the bowl that was full of stones minutes ago. He threw the bowl at the dancer and she jerked the sword back, catching it in her hand, and smashed the bowl towards the ground.

Screams were emitted from the crowd as Captain Uchiha stood up and grabbed a soldier's sword who was standing near by. The crowd started to file out of the room as Sasuke made his way toward Tenten.

"Who are you, really? Why do you want to kill me?" he questioned, walking around her slowly.

"Government running dogs, I wish to kill all of you!" She lashed out at him with her sword and he was backing away. She swung the sword as if she was a skilled martial artist. He parried a few swings with his own sword as he let out a chuckle. The room was entirely empty and the sound of metal-against-metal echoed off the walls.

"I do enjoy fighting a blind girl."

After a few minutes of their swords clashing, the captain made a run for the room next door. In the middle of the room was a pool of water and the room was dimly lighted. As if in the blink of an eye, he appear behind her and sheathed his sword to alert her. She slashed her sword in his direction but he was too fast. Grabbing hold of her neck, he pushed her into the pool and held her there until she stopped struggling.

Back inside the ANBU headquarters, a soldier reported his findings to Captain Uchiha and Captain Hyuuga. Tenten was also in the room but she was bound and standing directly in front of the two captains. The ANBU decided to search her room for any clues leading to the Flying Daggers. Her room was loaded with weapons ranging to the normal katana to nun-chucks to bo staffs.

"We found this in her room." He was referring to a set of four daggers with the Flying Dagger's emblem engraved on each of the handles. The soldier bowed before leaving the two to question the blind dancer. Sasuke spoke first.

"You're a member of the Flying Daggers?" No answer.

"Who is the new leader?" Silence.

"Where is the new leader?" His voice rose with each word, a sign of his irration of her lack of cooperation.

"I'll show yo what we'll do to you if you refuse to answer. Show her!"

Two soldiers went over to Tenten and undid her bindings. After applying a pair of handcuffs her delicate wrists, they two pulled her into a separate room. Sasuke followed.

"In front of you is a torture device." He explained as he spun her around so she was facing the wooden structure.

"Your head will be put here." He moved her hands to where he was talking about. "Your shoulders here. Your back here. Your legs here."

The contraption closed as Sasuke pulled her away swiftly. In the space where the victim was placed, a bamboo pole was substituted to give an example. The pole was crushed and snapped shortly afterwards.

"You'll never dance again after this. Do you understand?" He slammed her back into the contraption and leaned down to whisper in her ear. "You have one day to think it over."

Tenten was returned to her prison cell and Sasuke went back to where Neji was. When he sat down at the table, Neji spoke.

"The girl reminds me of someone."

"Who?"

"Rumor has it that the old leader's blind daughter disappeared after his death. It was a heavy blow to the Flying Daggers. They vowed revenge for their loss while searching for the girl."

"Why would the old leader's daughter end up in a brothel? Who owns the Peony Pavillion? Perhaps the Flying Daggers realized that they were responsible for their leader's death."

"Forget it. Let's turn her over to the Kage for a reward then go out for a drink."

"I have a better idea. Since we have some clues, let's follow them through for a bigger reward."

"Do you want me to do it?"

"Of course. Who else?"

"All right. The girl is a rare beauty. You know I love flirting with girls." They both laughed.

"Don't let beauty blind your judgment."

"If I die under a skirt, I could stil flirt as a ghost." Sasuke let out a chuckle and Neji began to pour more sake into their cups and began discussing the plan.

* * *

**_To Be Continued.._**

**Be nice. Leave a review!  
**** -Mai**


	3. Chapter 3

**OMGs. Sorry about the 3 month long Hiatus.  
I've been so busy with school work & work work I haven't had time to update sooner.  
Plus, my laptop kinda crashed in the middle of June so that took a whole chunk of my time.  
Once again, I apologize for the wait.  
Enjoy(:**

* * *

The sound of swords being drawn was what had woken Tenten from her sleep inside her prison cell. Apparently, the two guards on duty that night were oblivious to their masked intruder. From where Tenten was bound in her cell, she could tell the man, or woman, fought with no weapons.

The fight was short and the person was very skilled, having taken on about ten soldiers by himself. After delivering some kicks to the last few soldiers, he opened the door to her cell, heaved a sigh, and cut her free from her bindings.

Leading her to the stables, he quickly saddled two horses and helped her on and got on his own horse. They rode swiftly and carefully through the forest until they found a secluded area. From the feel of the place, Tenten could tell it was probably a training ground.

The two got off their horses and he stepped closer to her. Reaching out for her hand, he put the sheathed end of his sword in it. He held the hilt and they started to sprint through the training grounds and into the forest.

After a few moments of silence, Tenten spoke up.

"Who are you?"

Slowing down to a walk, he answered her.

"I undressed you only yesterday. Have you forgotten me already?"

Stopping, he turned around to face her.

"Why did you rescue me?"

Grabbing her hand, he replied.

"What do you think?" A pause. "You're an exquisite flower. I would do anything to help you."

Pulling her hand away, she whispered fiercely.

"Control yourself."

"Don't worry."

He pulled on his end of the sword and the two started moving once again.

"I am no longer a guest of the Peony Pavillion as you are not a showgirl anymore. You're the daughter of the old leader."

She had pulled them to a stop.

"What did you say?"

Reaching into his dagger holster, he pulled out her set of daggers.

"How many blind girls know martial arts and carry weapons like these?"

He handed them to her and she felt the handles for the emblem as he continued.

"I've rescued you and your daggers as well."

She placed the strap over her shoulder.

"Why did you take such a risk?

"I hate the corrupt government and I secretly admire the Flying Daggers."

"Much obliged."

They started to walk once again but this time, his sword was back on his hip and the two were walking side-by-side.

"Why did we abandon the horses?"

"Hoof prints can be easily tracked. I have two new horses hidden ahead."

"You've planned well." A pause. "What is your name, master?"

"Just call me wind."

"Wind?"

"I wander all alone. I come and go without a trace."

"Like a carefree wind?"

"No, like a playful wind." His chuckle. Her smile.

"You like to tease. I wonder what you look like.."

"That's easy to find out. Here."

He stopped walking and took her small hand in his larger one. He put her hand on his face and she quickly pulled her hand away and said, "Please let go." He sighed.

"This isn't the Peony Pavillion. There are no rules here. You'll know what I look like if you feel my face."

Taking her hand once more, he slowly moved it toward his face again. She pulled away just an inch before touching his nose.

"It is not respectful to touch your face first."

Crouching down, she slowly trailed her hands on his stomach.

"I asked you to start at the top. You prefer to start at the bottom."

With her hands on his thigh, she began her inspection.

"You've mastered the flying technique."

His eyes slightly widened at her knowledge by merely feeling his muscles, but he didn't say anything. Moving to his hands, she continued.

"Your right hand is skilled with a machete." Other hand. "Your left hand is powerful with a bow and arrow."

Next was his nicely toned chest.

"Your heart beats steadily. You seem sincere."

"You read me like a book." His smirk evident in his voice. She moved on to his shoulders.

"You are a brave man."

"I'm never shy around women."

Now, his face. She smiled.

"You are young, indeed."

Her hands lingered on his lips and she closed her eyes as she inhaled his scent. She felt him smile against her hand and she smiled back.

"You know how to hold your drink." Her smile vanished. "The soldiers are approaching!"

Dropping her hands to his sword, they started to run once again. Only their heavy breathing and footsteps could be heard in the thick forest. A few moments later, Tenten noticed something was missing.

"My dagger pouch. I've lost it."

Breathing in a breath, Neji quickly pulled his sword out of the sheath and running back towards the way they came. He glanced back to make sure she was fine and then resumed his search. Tenten, having heard the sound of a horse's footsteps, tensed.

He found the pouch by a bush. Making sure there were no traps around it, he quickly reached out, grabbed it, and started running back towards Tenten.

Meanwhile, armed with only Neji's sheath, Tenten tried to take in her surroundings. After hearing a soldier come closer, she began to run in the opposite direction. Neji, having heard the soldiers as well, began to run faster.

Tenten, beginning to run out of breath, started to slow down. Listening to the horses' footsteps and the sounds of weapons, she counted five soldiers. Deciding that she couldn't run from them anymore, she stopped and fell into a battle stance. Two men, on opposite sides of her, charged at her. Using the sheath like a sword, she parried one's lance and ducked from the other's.

Dropping to the ground as another jumped over her, swung the sheath at the next man's horse, scaring the horse and also sending the soldier flying off. The first two circled back around and charged at her once again. She swung her sword at his lance twice, then aimed for the horse. He fell to the floor as she managed to knock the last one off of his horse.

Before the last man hit the ground, Tenten had already started running again. Being at the disadvantage, the five soldiers quickly caught up to her and surrounded her. Just swinging her make-shift sword randomly, she forced the soldiers to keep blocking.

Just as one found an opening, Neji had finally caught up. Dropping his sword, he drew five arrows. Having near-perfect aim, the five men fell to the ground. Throwing his bow down, he ran towards Tenten, who was on the verge of collapsing.

"I'm sorry I was late."

Unsure of what else to say, he fix the strap of her jacket and pulled her in for a hug. She closed her eyes against his chest and a few tears slid down her cheeks. A few seconds later, he pulled away and took her hand in his. Leading the way to the horses, he helped her on hers again and they rode through the forest in search of a place to camp out the night.

Back at the scene of the battle, the five soldiers stood up and pulled the arrows out of their clothes. Thanks to their captain's near-perfect aim, they were unharmed and began to make their way back to the ANBU headquarters to report to Captain Uchiha.

* * *

**_To Be Continued.._**

**Sorry for the long wait. Hope you like this chapter.  
I'll try to have Chapter 4 done by next week but no promises.  
I'll update before school starts though(:**

**Make me happy. Leave a review.  
-Mai**


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